Lifelong Learning Lecture Series

This free lecture series is a partnership between Framingham State University (FSU) and Framingham Public Library (FPL). The series is sponsored by a grant from The Joseph L. and Ray L. Freund Foundation, courtesy of Elizabeth F. Fideler.

All lectures take place on Zoom. To receive the Zoom link, please join our Lifelong Learning Lectures mailing list at bit.ly/Lifelong-Learning-Lectures.

Recordings of these events are not always available, based on copyright constraints and other factors. To avoid missing these great talks, please join us live on Zoom! Whether or not a program is recorded may not be announced before the event. If a recording is available, it will be posted to youtube.com/FraminghamPublicLibrary no later than one week after the event takes place.

Lecture Descriptions

Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America

Sharon Udasin, Environmental Journalist
September 4, 7PM | Zoom

Trace an ugly history of corporate greed, military impunity and community devastation, based on original reporting in four highly contaminated places. Learn about the people who, while fighting for their own lives, take action to fix a broken regulatory system. And see evidence as to how PFAS producers were aware of the deadly risks for decades while the government failed to protect its citizens.

The Past, Present, and Future of the U.S. Postal Service

Dr. Joseph M. Adelman, Professor of History, Framingham State University
September 18, 7PM | Zoom

The Post Office is older than the United States. Explore its vibrant history, its role in an ever-changing American society, and how it stands today. Find out what the postal system’s story suggests about where it may head in the coming years.

Jane Austen and the Marriage Plot

Dr. Helen Heineman, President Emerita, Framingham State University
October 2, 7PM | Zoom

Jane Austen is the quintessential author of happy endings. Her novels provide love and mutual respect, but she also weaves a resistance to marriage into the fabric of her novels, which juxtapose romantic happiness and mutual fulfillment. This lecture covers aspects of Jane Austen‘s life and her prevailing interest in the marriage plot, which in her life, was always out of reach.

Extreme Weather Events Increase Efforts to Protect Lives and Property

Ken Mahan, Lead Meteorologist, The Boston Globe
October 9, 7PM | Zoom

As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, communities, governments, and organizations are ramping up efforts to safeguard lives and property across New England and beyond. Hear about improved early warning systems, updated infrastructure, emergency preparedness plans, and climate-resilient policies aimed at reducing the devastating impacts of floods, wildfires, hurricanes, coastal erosion, and heatwaves.

Conspiracy Theories & Why People Believe Them

Jon Huibregtse, Professor Emeritus, History, Framingham State University
November 6, 7PM | Zoom

Conspiracy theories have been part of history for a long time. A Charlestown minister started one of the first in the 1790s when he claimed that a secret organization called the Bavarian Illuminati was working to undermine Christianity and overthrow the civil government.

People believe these theories for a variety of reasons, such as wanting to belong to a group of like-minded individuals or helping them understand complex events. Exploring why people adhere to, and spread, such theories helps us to better understand the current political milieu of the United States.

The 2026 Midterm Elections

Dr. David Smailes, Former Associate Professor of Political Science, Law and Global Studies, Framingham State University
November 13, 7PM | Zoom

Midterm elections have often revealed how the public perceives the performance of a president as well as the president’s party. The November 2026 midterm elections will also reflect where each party is heading as we look toward the 2028 presidential election. Join us as we look at past midterms as well as some current events in American politics which are shaping these pivotal elections.